Railway joint lock



Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,607

v J. A. HYLE ET AL RAILWAY JOINT LOCK Filed Oct. 10, 1924 Patented Aug.4, 1925..-

UNITED sTA'res JACOB A. HYLE AND ROBERT A, THOMANN, OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI.

RAILWAY JOINT LUCK.

' Application filed October 1c, 1924. Serial no. mares.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that We, JAcoB ALVIN HYLE and Boneirr A. THOMANN, citizensof the United States, residing in the city and county of St. Louis andState of Missouri,-

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway JointLocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and novel improvement in railway jointlooks.

The prime object ofthis invention is to provide simple, durable,economical, reliable I and eflicient means whereby the meeting ends ofthe track rails are always looked and retained in alineme-nt under allconditions.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means forautomatically holding the meeting ends of railway rails securelytogether, and to take up the Wear at that point and at the same t meprevent the loosening of the bolts and nuts.

A further object of the invention is to so construct reliable andefiicient means as to always secure and retain the meeting ends of therails in firm connection to prevent pounding and clinking of the rollingstock as it passes over the joint, and thus materially prevent thewearing of the rails at the ends.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuingdescript on are accomplished by the construction, arrangement, locationand combination of the several parts hereinafter more fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out inthe claims appended hereto, lit-being understood that slight changes inthe precise proportions and minor details ot the construc tion may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ot-theadyantages of the invention.

in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification itwill be seen Figure l is a side elevation of the imlocking platedetached from the rails.

plan view of the plate shown plate secured in its normal position by thenuts and bolts, and showing one of the rail splice bars partly insection.

Figure 5 s a transverse section taken In the plane of the dotted lines5-5, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken in the plane of the dotted lines66, Fig. 3, to looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the embodiment of our invention as illustrated, it will be seen thatthe numeral 1 designates the track rails, 2 the rail clamping or splicebars, each of said bars being formed with four suitable central 0 eningsforthe reception of the securing olts 3, each bolt being passed throughsuitable openings formed through the track rails and said centralopening on the bars, and securean ly fitted to the threaded end portionof each bolt is a securing nut 5, said nuts being fitted so as toalternate on opposite sides of the rail joint.

By re erence to Fig. 5 it will-be perceived tie that each of theclamping or splice bars 2 is formed-with an upper enlarged or headedportion 6, so formed as to rest'snugly into contact with the lowersurface of the head or tread of the track rails, and a lower enen largedor headed portion 7 adapted to clamp against the rail base, and formedof substantially the same contour and shape as said upper portion 6,which formation of the clamping or splice bars permits them to bereadily reversed when unduly worn at the top por ion 8, which normallyrests in contact wit the head of the rail, where the wear usuallyoccurs, the reversal of the bar thus causing the worn surface 8 of eachbar to assume the position 9, shown at the base portion of the rail, andthe upper portion 10 each bar to assume the position shown at 11 incontact with the base of the rail, thereby doubly increasing thelongevity of the joint. Each of the rail clamping or splice bars isiocated a suitable distance from the web of the track rails in orderthat they l is normally secured to the rail joint insure may be readilyadjusted inwardly by tightening up the securing nuts, thereby causingthe bars to be flexed tightly into contact with the lower face of therail head to fully compensate for the wear.

It will be readily perceived by reference to Figs. 3 and 4 that we haveprovided a novel and peculiarly constructed locking plate. 12 preferablyformed from heat treated spring steel usually employed for llkepurposes, which plate is adapted to overlap the meeting ends of therails, and is firmly secured under high tension in contact with theouter face of each of the clamping or splice bars 2 by the two securingbolts and nuts disposed nearest the meeting ends of the track rails,each locking plate 12 being formed with an inwardly bent or curvedcentral portion 13 adapted to tightly contact the outer face of thesplice bar, said central portion being provided with an outwardlyextended strengthening and reinforcing rib l-i, and each side ofthecentral portion of the locking plate 12 is formed with a reversiblyinclined twist 14 extend ing from its central portion to each outerendportion, with each outer end portion terminating with an inwardextension 15 adapted to tightly contact with the outer face of theclamping or splice bar 2.

It will be clearly evident that when the twisted locking plate 12, suchas clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, isfirmly secured. in contactwith the fail clamping or splice bars 2, that by proper adjustment ofthe securing nuts the twist at each side of the central portion of thelocking plate will force the plate to assume a straight flattened outosition, with each inward extension 15 and its central portion 13tightly in contact with the splice bars under high tension, therebysecurely locking the nuts to the threaded ends of the bolts andpreventing the accidental loosening to the said nuts usually caused bythe excessive jarring which emanates from the rolling stock passing overthe joints, and at the same time forming a cushioning efiect of theplate be tween its central portion and its outer ends, as clearly shownin Fig. dot the drawings. By the use of this particular construction oflocking plate it Wlll be evident that the bonding wires commonlyemployed in connection with railway joints may be dispensed with,since'it will be readily seen that the rail joint at the middle portionthereof will always be retained in positive contact with the track railsthereby insuring that the electrical current will be transmitted fromone rail to the other, for the reason that the high tension under whichthis locking plate the joint from being accidentally loosened byexpansion and contraction.

it will also be understood that. in the event lililuuadduihammmiimkraaaeo? portion at each side of said inwardly ex-' tended portion.

2. A rail joint locking plate formed with an inwardly. extended curvedmiddle portion, and a twisted portion at each side of said middleortion. I

3. A rail joint locking plate formed with an inwardly extended centralportion, and the ends of the plate being reversely twisted with relationto each other.

4. A rail joint locking plate formed with 'an inwardly extended curvedcentral portion, and the ends of the plate being reversely twisted withrelation to each other at each side of said central portion terminatingat each end with an inward extension.

5. A rail joint locking plate formed with an inwardly bent centralportion, the ends of the plate being reversely twisted at each side ofsaid central portion, and an inward extension at each end.

6. A rail joint locking plate formed with an inwardly bent centralportion provided with a strengthening rib, the ends of the plate beingreversely twisted at each side of said central portion, and an inwardextension at each. end thereof.

7. A rail joint locking plate formed with an inwardly curved centralportion rovided with a strengthening rib, each one of said plate beingreversely twisted with relation to the other, and an elongated recessformed in its inner face.

8. A rail joint lock comprising track rails, splice bars secured to saidrails, a locking plate secured to the outer face of each splice bar,said locking plate being formed with an inwardly curved'portion and atwisted portion at each side of said central portion, and means forsecuring said splice bars and locking plate to the track rails.

9. A rail joint lock comprising track rails, splice bars secured to saidrails, a locking plate secured to outer face oi each splice bar, saidlocking plate being formed with an inwardly bent central portion andeach end portion being reversely twisted with.

a a lone; coniprisiu mack inward extension, and means for securing theplate in untwisted position into contact with the splice bar with acushioning effect- 1 near each end thereof.

JACOB A. HYLE. ROBERT A. THOMANN,

